The Secret Lives of Cats

Ariel, who is of no particular feline bloodline, belongs to a very good friend of mine. In four years I have not actually seen this cat. She greets my friend with a punctual and frantic ‘meow’ nine o’clock every evening, and slinks out of the house before anyone has even cracked an eyelid. My question is… ‘Where does Ariel go’? (Or should it be ‘Is Ariel real??). As a dog owner myself, I can’t imagine not seeing, let alone not being greeted by my adorable canine, but cats are something else! I have a secret desire to strap a ‘cat cam’ to the feline’s neck and to review the evidence. However, I doubt that my friend will entertain this notion as enthusiastically as I have. For now I can only imagine the storm drains frequented, the households scavenged for catnip, and the birds terrorised by this little cat.